Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing US talk show host has joined criticism of the
London Olympics opening ceremony, accusing director Danny Boyle of "honouring
socialism and collectivism".

Limbaugh said that the London compared badly with that of Beijing in 2008, suggesting that the 2012 event was an even greater celebration of the State's primacy over the individual.

"The [Chinese] people had no choice. They are under orders and under guns. In the UK a free people decided to do it."

Boyle's ceremony, which included a section praising the NHS as well as items depicting the Industrial Revolution and the suffragette movement, has been criticised by some British Conservatives and right-wing commentators.

Aidan Burley, a Conservative MP, has described the ceremony as "leftie multicultural crap" and complained about the number of rappers included in Friday's show.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has disowned Mr Burley's comments, and praised the ceremony as showing Britain at its best.

Some Tories have been antagonised by Labour claims that the ceremony will help their cause. Several Labour figures have praised the show as extolling the virtues of socialism and claimed Boyle is a party supporter.

The director himself has denied any partisan message in the show, saying it celebrates the full range and diversity of British political thinking.

Limbaugh's show is regularly the most listened-to radio programme in the United States. In March it faced an advertising boycott after Limbaugh described a law student who defended the White House policy of forcing insurance companies to provide contraception as a "slut" and a "prostitute".

Limbaugh apologised, saying: "For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week."

Speaking on his radio show on Monday night, Limbaugh suggests that Boyle, "a leftist" had included the NHS to help US President Barack Obama promote his moves to provide universal healthcare in the US.

Limbaugh said: "Of all the things that you want to honour - the people of Great Britain don’t even like the National Health Service! And then it hit me, and then it hit me. It was actually done on behalf of President [Barack Obama]. They did it for Obama. Nobody will convince me otherwise.”